http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/12/smartphones-cause-stress_n_1202924.html
Are smartphones a tool to help journalists, or do they make our lives more stressful? On the one hand, having a smartphone is extremely convenient when you are out reporting. You can use it to take photos, check email, send tweets and even write articles, but do they degrade the quality of our lives when we are not working? No one likes getting an urgent late night email, or text. Do smart phones keep us too connected as journalists? Do you think they will upset our already hectic work life balances when we get out into the field?
I think smartphones can be very beneficial to a journalist. It allows them to constantly communicate with their sources and editors at all times. With the 24/7 news cycle, there is a 'need' to be able to publish at all times and if you can get feedback at anytime of day, that definitely helps. Also, just like you posted, it allows a journalist to record audio, shoot video, write a story, and post it all at once!
ReplyDeleteIt's up to the individual to limit smartphone use so that it can be a helpful tool instead of a nuisance.
I think that smartphones can enable journalists to communicate with their audience more efficiently and instantaneously. I think that smartphones can be really beneficial when a journalist has no access to the "traditional" reporting technology, such as high-quality cameras, video and audio recorders. However, I think that smartphones should NOT replace staff members needed to report the news. For instance, a smartphone in the hand of ONE journalist should not replace camera men, photographers and/or copy editors. This is true because when one person is in charged of creating all content, the quality of reporting can inevitably decrease. We should control technology... technology should not control us!
ReplyDeleteI think smartphones are a great tool for journalists. If need be, you can report on something instantly, shooting video, getting audio, Tweeting, and posting all on one device. As a journalist, I'm glad I can use my phone to stay on top of the 24/7 news cycle. However, outside of journalism, I do agree that smartphones can always be a reminder of our hectic schedule. Sometimes on vacation or while outside, it's nice to be able to clear your mind and not worry about your phone. Smartphones can be a great tool, but it's up to the individual to use them in a beneficial way, and not a distracting way.
ReplyDeleteI think smartphones are almost a necessity for reporters today. I can't even begin to tell you how many times I have seen reporters sitting in meetings with their iPads in hand. Plus, if you're on the go and you need to check a quick fact, you can easily check it using your smart phone. I also believe that installing apps for major news networks, such as CNN, is essential. Users get automatic news updates sent to their phones, although it can be a bit delayed. This is where I rely on Twitter for the most breaking news stories.
ReplyDeleteWhile smartphones may contribute to increased pressure for journalists to rapidly produce and disseminate news, I think that overall they are contributing in a positive way to the quality of reporting. Journalists are able to report the news in a much more timely manner as a result of smartphones. They are also able to access much more information on the go, which has the potential to greatly reduce the chance of any factual errors. In terms of journalism as a public service, I would say that smartphones have allowed journalists to better serve the public.
ReplyDeleteI totally think smartphones make me more stressed. I love my iPhone and I don't think I could live with out it. But I feel a constant need to be on top of my emails to make sure I'm not missing something. If I don't have my phone with me for an hour or two I start to stress out that I am going to miss something important. When I get home I can't disconnect from the work I have been doing all day. It feels like I am never not working.
ReplyDeleteI recently got a smart phone and I do love it, and I found that before I had it I was definitely at a disadvantage as an aspiring journalist. I think the main problem regarding smart phones is that they're not so much a necessity as an expectation. I didn't have email on my phone, so I wouldn't be able to respond to people until I got to a computer. I often received exasperated second emails like "Why haven't you responded" or "Get back to me ASAP." People are more inpatient now that smart phones exist because they want instant gratification or answers, and this without a doubt translates to journalism. People want news at their fingertips as soon as it happens, making smart phones a necessary evil.
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